Carrying tray



H. F. M CORD CARRYING TRAY June 6, 1939.

Filed March 2, 1938 Patented June 6, 1939 Herbert F. McCord, Pelham, Western Electric Company,

N. Y., assignor to Incorporated, New

York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 2, 1938, Serial No. 193,472

6 Claims.

This invention relates to carrying trays, and more particularly to trays having article supporting shelves or inserts.

In handling parts or articles in a shop or manurfacturing plant, it is desirable in many instances to support articles upon a shelf or insert remov ably mounted in a tray or frame. Also, it is desirable that the shelves be readily interchangeable and the height thereof in a tray of selected depth be variable to accommodate articles of different dimensions and that the shelves when not mounted in the trays be capable of being stored flat to conserve space.

An object of this invention is to provide a carrying tray having a self locking and readily detachable article supporting shelf or insert capable of being positioned atdiiferent heights in the tray and of being stored fiat to conserve space when not being used therein.

In accordance with the above object, one embodiment of this invention includes an open work metal frame or tray designed for nesting or stacking with similar trays and for receiving a shelf apertured to receive and suspend articles, such as vacuum tubes or parts thereof. Pivoted upon the shelf are a plurality of resilient metal members with differently directed offset ends cooperating with structural portions of the tray to permit self lockingoi the shelf in a raised position within the tray upon the shelf being placed in the tray and permitting a ready detachment therefrom when interchanging shelves. The pivotal members are adapted to be adjustably attached to the shelf whereby the height of the shelf in a tray of selected depth may be varied to accommodate articles of different dimensions. The pivotal members are so arranged on the shelf and of such dimensions relative thereto that they may be rotated to lie lengthwise thereof to permit the shelves to be stored fiat to conserve space when not mounted in the trays.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a carrying tray and shelf or insert embodying the featuresof this invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the shelf removed from the tray and the pivoted members rotated parallel thereto to permit storing the shelves fiat;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sec tion taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view thereof, and

Figs. 5 and 6 are horizontal sections taken on the lines 5-5 and 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawing, there is disclosed an open work metal frame or tray of rectangular shape consisting of vertical corner angle iron pieces l0 interconnected at their lower ends by horizontally extending angle iron pieces H, the horizontally extending arms of which form a substantially continuous inner ledge I2 for supporting an article carrying shelf or insert in a manner to be presently described. At each corner of the tray, flanged foot pieces are secured to the lower surfaces of the adjacent pieces II and to the vertical arms of the pieces ID, the foot pieces being formed with embossments I6, upon which the tray rests. The upper ends of the vertical corner pieces ID are interconnected by irregularly shaped horizontal members ll having their lower edge portions turned inwardly to provide a reinforced double thickness of metal indicated at 18 between the vertical corner pieces In, the members being notched at their ends, whereby they extend as a single thickness across the arms of the corner pieces. At their upper ends each of the members I1 is turned outwardly at right angles and over the upper ends of the adjacent vertical corner pieces H] for a suitable distance to'provide a horizontal nesting or stacking ledge l9 extending along each side and end of the tray for supporting similar superimposed trays.

Each of the members H at the outer boundary of the ledge i9 is turned upwardly at right angles to provide a vertical wall 22 along the ledge. At the upper end of the wall 22 on each of the members H a reinforced hem or rim 23 is formed by bending the member outwardly and downwardly and then upwardly upon itself. The two outer thicknesses of the member are spaced from the outer surface of the wall 22 to receive a reinforcing corner angle piece 24, which extends from one member l'l across the open corner between the members, at each corner of the tray, and into the similar space formed in the adjacent member ll. The members I! and the angle pieces 24 are suitably pressed and secured together. The various pieces of the tray may be secured together in any suitable manner preferably by welding and thus a very rigid tray of minimum weight is provided by the described construction.

A shelf or insert 28 apertured as shown at 29, in the present embodiment, for receiving and suspending articles (not shown), such as vacuum tubes or parts thereof, is detachably supported in the metal tray above described. The shelf 28 may be made of any suitable material depending on the nature of the articles carried and in the case of vacuum tubes, or parts thereof, which are very fragile, since they include glass, laminated wood is preferably used because it may more safely contact with glass than some materials and because of its light weight and cheapness. Pivotally attached to opposite longitudinal edges of the shelf 28 adjacent each of its corners by screws or pins 30 are resilient metal members 3| having their ends bent over in opposite directions, as indicated at 32. The length of the pivotal members 3| for a particular size tray is such that, when the shelf 28 is supported in the tray, the lower ends of the members will engage the upper surface of the inner ledge I2 and the upper ends of the members will be held in locked position under the bottom edge of the members l1, and in engagement with the vertical corner pieces, as shown in Fig. 3.

In order to vary the height of the shelf 28 within a predetermined range above the inner ledge |2 of a tray of selected depth to accommodate articles of different dimensions, the pivotal members 3| are provided with a plurality of predeterminedly spaced pivot holes 33 whereby the members may be pivoted in different positions upon the shelf, therebly providing means for varying the height of the shelf when mounted in the tray.

To conserve space the shelves 28, when not in use may be stored flat and stacked in abutting relation one upon the other by rotating the pivotal members 3| until they lie lengthwise of the shelf. The construction of the tray is such that the shelf 28 is detachably locked thereto without the provision of any special elements on the tray, the pivotal members 3| carried by the shelf merely cooperating with structural elements of the tray. It will also be noted that no useful space in the tray is occupied by the cooperating locking elements of the shelf and tray when the shelf is mounted in the tray or when the shelf is removed from the tray. Also that the tray without the shelf may be used for other purposes such as carrying cartons which may rest on the inner ledge l2 at opposite sides and ends of the tray.

'I'o attach a shelf to the tray the pivotal shelf members 3| are first positioned so that they lie at right angles to the length of the shelf and the shelf is then lowered into the tray, the inwardly offset lower ends of the pivotal members 3| moving past the horizontal tray members I! and guiding the tray into position, while the outwardly offset upper ends 32 of the pivotal members engage and ride over the horizontal tray members. Upon the lower ends of the members 3| engaging the inner supporting tray ledge l2, the upper ends thereof are in such position that they will automatically snap in under the lower edges of the members I"! with suitable tension and engage the portions of the vertical corner pieces 10 along the sides of the tray, thereby locking the shelf to the tray. After the shelf is positioned in the tray, the pivotal members 3| are prevented from turning about their pivots by the adjacent portions of the corner pieces along the ends of the tray, thereby preventing the shelf from collapsing. To detach the shelf 28 from the tray it is merely necessary to flex slightly inwardly the upper offset ends of the pivoted members 3| which disengages them from looking engagement with the lower edges of the members I! and then withdraw the shelf from the tray.

It will be understood that the embodiment herein described is merely illustrative of the invention and one application thereof, the invention being limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

I. In a carrying tray or the like having groups of spaced members and means for retaining the members in predetermined spaced relation, an article supporting shelf adapted to be entered in the tray, and spaced elements longitudinally adjustably carried on the shelf cooperating with said spaced members for supporting and detachably securing the shelf in different article supporting positions within the tray.

2. In a carrying tray or the like having groups of spaced members and means for retaining the members in predetermined spaced relation, an article supporting shelf adapted to be entered in the tray, and spaced resilient pivotal elements carried on the shelf adapted to be moved into self locking engagement with said spaced members upon entering the shelf in the tray for supporting and detachably securing the shelf therein, the pivotal elements adapted to be turned to a position wherein they lie parallel with the shelf for conserving space when the shelf is removed from the tray.

3. In a carrying tray or the like having groups of vertically spaced horizontally extending members and means for retaining the members in predetermined spaced relation, an article supporting shelf adapted to be entered in the tray, and vertically directed spaced resilient elements carried on the shelf engaging at their ends said spaced members, the upper ends of said elements adapted to spring under horizontal surfaces of the upper members upon entering the shelf in the tray for supporting and detachably securing the shelf therein.

4. In a carrying tray or the like having oppositely arranged groups of horizontally extending vertically spaced members and means for retaining the members in predetermined spaced relation, the lower members thereof having inwardly directed ledge portions, an article supporting shelf adapted to be entered in the tray, and vertically directed spaced elements carried on the shelf cooperating at their lower ends with said ledge portions of the lower members and at their upper ends with edge surfaces of the upper members for supporting and detachably securing the shelf within the tray.

5. In a carrying tray or the like having groups of spaced members and means for retaining the members in predetermined spaced relation, an article supporting shelf adapted to be entered in the tray, and spaced pivotal elements carried on the shelf having differently directed offset ends cooperating at their ends with said spaced members for supporting and detachably locking the shelf within the tray, the pivotal elements adapted to be turned to a position wherein they lie parallel with the shelf for conserving space when the shelf is removed from the tray.

6. In a carrying tray or the like having groups of horizontally extending vertically spaced members and means for retaining the members in predetermined spaced relation, an article supporting shelf adapted to be entered in the tray, and spaced pivotal elements carried on the shelf, said elements normally disposed in vertical operative positions and cooperating at their ends with said spaced horizontal members for supporting and detachably securing the shelf within the tray, the pivotal elements adapted to be turned to a position wherein they lie parallel with the shelf for conserving space when the shelf is removed from the tray.

HERBERT F. MCCORD. 

